Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to voice 'Maleficent' in Hindi

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will topline the voice cast of the Hindi version of Angelina Jolie-starrer "Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil", the makers announced on Tuesday.

Jolie, who originally plays the title character, is returning as the evil fairy in the follow-up to the 2014 Disney film.

"Looking at how Angelina Jolie fits Maleficent's role down to the letter, it was hard to imagine anyone else essaying the character other than Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for our local audience.

"We wanted to build a strong connect and bring her character to life in Hindi and felt Aishwarya's persona which is filled with elegance and poise would be a perfect blend," said Bikram Duggal, Head - Studio Entertainment, Disney India, in a statement.

Described as a stirring tale of good versus evil, "Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil" will see Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora (Elle Fanning) begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies and dark new forces at play.

Also starring Michelle Pfieffer, Sam Riley, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, among others, the film is slated to be released in theatres on October 18 in India, in English and Hindi.